The Western Idaho Fair returns to Expo Idaho in Garden City from August 21–30, and its 2026 Grandstand Concert Series features five nights of live music. On Thursday, August 27, the Grandstand hosts The Art of Rap, a hip-hop showcase headlined by Ice-T, with Sir Mix-A-Lot, DJ Evil E, DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell, and host Mick Benzo. The series also includes country artist Brantley Gilbert on Monday, rock band Skillet on Tuesday, Third Eye Blind on Wednesday, and country artist Lee Brice on Friday. General admission to the concerts is free with fair admission, and fans can upgrade to reserved grandstand seats, club seats, loges, or Fan Zone standing areas.
Ice-T is a rap pioneer whose raw storytelling helped define gangster rap. From his 1987 debut Rhyme Pays to the landmark O.G. Original Gangster, he built a legacy of uncompromising social commentary that put West Coast hip-hop on the map. Audiences also know him as Detective Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: SVU, now in its 25th season, and he remains known for the Body Count song "Cop Killer," which ignited controversy in 1992. He is joined by DJ Evil E, his longtime official DJ and fellow Rhyme Syndicate member.
Opening the night is Sir Mix-A-Lot, the Seattle self-starter behind the Grammy-winning, five-week No. 1 hit "Baby Got Back" and three consecutive platinum albums. DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell, a Zulu Nation original and member of the legendary Fantastic Five, rounds out the lineup. The evening is hosted by Mick Benzo, Ice-T's East Coast manager and founder of the Art of Rap Tour, who brings decades of experience as a manager, promoter, and producer.
The Art of Rap is a touring showcase that celebrates the pioneers of hip-hop, blending classic anthems with the culture's enduring energy. For one late-summer evening, the Grandstand will carry four decades of rap history, a reminder that the genre has long been a powerful and lasting art form.